Garment hangers



Feb, 9, W@ N. E. BROOKE 9 m GARMENT HANGERS Filed Jan. 22, 1958 2 sheets sheet l FIG] INVENTOR. Norman E. Brooke ATTY Fkb Q W N. E. BROOKE y GARMENT HANGERS Filed Jan. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 n @l m rig l 1 INVENTOR.

g NormunE. Brooke Unitgd Stat tent GARMENT HANGERS Norman E. Brooke, Washington, D.C. Application January 22, 1958, Serial No. 710,525 Claims. (Cl. 223-91) This invention relates generally to the class of apparel apparatus and is directed particularly to garment hangers.

An object of the present invention is toprovide a new and novel hanger construction adapted for supporting individually, or singly, a coat and trousers, or a coat and a skirt, or for supporting two such garments together in such a way that when the two garments are thereon either may be easily removed without disturbing the other or when only one is thereon another can be readily put on or taken oif.

In my pending application Serial No. 621,640, filed Nov. 13, 1956, there are disclosed several embodiments of a garment hanger in which a new and novel construction is disclosed for securing certain parts of the hanger together and the present invention embodies an adaptation of such securing construction in a new design of hanger having new and novel advantages over the prior construction.

In an embodiment of the hanger shown in my prior application a coat supporting frame in the form of an arched bar has end portions which ,are joined to portions of trouser or skirt gripping jaws and therefore no portion of a garment suspended on the frame or bar can be passed between the ends of the bar andthe ends of the gripping jaws.

The present invention has for an object to provide a hanger in which the coat supporting bar and the means for gripping trouser ends, or a skirt band, in the conventional manner is free of connection at the outer ends thereof so as to permit a coat, jacket or the like, to be hung on the bar at one side of the gripping means, whereby trousers can be hung or easily and quickly removed while a coat, or the like, is hanging on the bar and, on the other hand, a coat or jacket can be put on the bar or removed while trousers or a skirt, are hanging thereon without having to adjust the coat or jacket around the hanging trouses or Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger of a form or construction particularly well adapted for hanging garments having shoulder straps such as slips, evening gowns and the like, by providing a bar and gripping means therebeneath which are constructed and associated so that the gripping means may be employed to clasp the straps of a gown hanging from the bar and perform the double function of holding them from sliding on the ends of the bar and hold the straps straight and tight to prevent wrinkling and also to eliminate any creases and wrinkles which may have formed in the wearing of the garment.

k Another object of the invention is to provide a cornbiiiation coat and trouser, or coat and skirt hanger device embodying an arcuate bar, or name, and a grip ping means comprising a pair of coacting, elongate jaw members lying therebelow and in longitudinal relation therewith, wherein the outer en s effthe bar and jaw members are spaced apart [and tree of connection "with 2,924,362 Patented Feb. 9,, 1 960 2 one another and a novel means is employed for coupling the bar and jaw members together in the transverse central portion of the device which maintains the bar and gripping means in the stated relation. n

Still another object is to provide in a device of the character stated, a coacting means between the outer ends of the jaw members which add to the effectiveness of the resilient gripping action between the jaws, to secure thin fabric articles and wherein the coacting means are formed in a novel manner to insure the elfectiveness of their coaction with each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination coat and trouser, or coat and skirt, hangerdevice embodying an arcuate bar, or frame, and a two jaw gripping unit therebelow and spaced, and separate at its ends, from the bar, with a suspension element forthe device which also acts as a means for locking, or fixing, together the bar and the gripping unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds and the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description taken in association with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, with the understanding that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but maybe changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as eitpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of a combination coat and trouser, or coat and skirt, hang-er device constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure -2, is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3, is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4, is a view, on an enlarged scale, looking-at one end portion of the gripping unit from the side opposite from the side shown in Figure 1. j

Figure 5, is a view in cross section, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6, is a side elevation of the device of Figure 1, illustrating the use of the garment strap supports in holding strap supported garment straps on the bar.

Figure .7, is a sectional detail of one end of the showing a garment strap support fined thereto.

Figure 8, is a view in perspective of a second embodiment of the combination coat and trouser, or coat and skirt, hanger device.

Figure 9, is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially onthe. line 99 of Figure 8.

Figure 10, is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line lit-10 of Figure 8.

Figure 11, is a section on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 1 111 of Figure 8.

Figure 12, is a side elevation of the device of Figure 8, showing the use of the gripper for suspending a garment such as trousers and thelike.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the bar description will be directed first to the embodiment of the a v 3 tion of which, at the end thereof, is screw threaded as indicated at 21.

The coat bar or frame 14 comprises a longitudinally arcuate body 22, of suitable material, such as wood, plastic or metal; When of wood, or plastic, it is preferably of materially greater width than thickness, as shown, the thickness being the transverse dimension, thus giving the narrow top and bottom edges 22a and 22b.

Through the body 22 there is formed, through the top and bottom edges 22a and 22b, the vertical hole 23, which is-located centrally between the wide side faces 22c and midway between the ends of the bar.

The threaded end 21 of the hook shank 20 extends downwardly through the hole 23 and is threadably engaged in the threaded opening 24 formed through the wall of a short tubular coupler member, or cylinder, 25 which lies against and transversely of the lower edge 22b of the body 22. This tubular member is preferably of a length no greater than the thickness of the body, as shown in Figure 2, and may have its curved surface depressed slightly in the material of the bar, as indicated at 26, to assist in securing it against any tendency to turn from position.

The gripper 16 embodies in its structure an inverted, substantially U-shaped spring yoke 27, formed of suitable spring material of band or ribbon character, or it may be formed of circular stock or of any other desired cross section.

A suitable length of the selected spring material is giventhe stated shape whereby there are obtained the spaced'spring'legs 28, connected by the transverse bight portion 29.

The bight portion 29, is extended through the tubular member 25 and the tubular member is centrally positioned thereon so that the legs 28 are equi-distantly spaced from the ends of the member 25 and the spring yoke is firmly secured to the member 25 by the threaded end of the hook shank 20 by threading the latter radially across the member 25 and into engagement with the bight 29 to clamp the latter firmly in the tubular member.

The legs 28 of the spring yoke are bowed longitudinally outwardly away from one another and they are also biased to spread or spring outwardly and apart when not held together in the closed, or operative, position of the pp Each of the legs 28 is secured at its free end to one of a pair of coacting gripping jaws each of which is designated 30.

Each ofthe legs 28 is secured at its free end to one of light, thin strip spring metal of desired character, such as steel, and having a substantial width. The jaws are longitudinally bowed and have their concave sides opposed and each has an end of a leg secured thereto and thereacross midway between the ends of the jaw.

While any suitable means may be employed for securing, or attaching the jaw to its leg, the means preferred is here shown as comprising an outstruck strap 31, beneath which the end of the leg 28 is extended and held by having the strap then pressed down against the leg. Details of this connection are shown in Figure 11 relating to the second embodiment of the invention.

Short terminal portions 32 of each of the jaws 30 are bent outwardly at 33 and thus when the jaws are brought together in gripping relation the portions at the bends 33 I will come together and the free ends of the portions 32 the jaws have a friction material lining 35 thereover and in addition an interfitting coupling is efiected by the formation of a projecting button 36 on the inner side of one of the pair of opposing portions 32, and by providing a socket or depression 37, in the other portion, to receive the button, or to receive the portion of the liner and the material between the jaws, as shown in Figure 5.

The buttons and sockets are'forrned, preferably, by punching the metal of the jaws by suitable means and in order to insure the proper meeting of, or coaction between, the two, the socket 37 is made elongated, rather than round like the button, to compensate for any slight misalignment between the jaws.

As previously stated the spring legs are biased to separate and thus separate the jaws 30 and in order to hold or secure the jaws in gripping relation the legs are coupled by the elongate slide coupling and locking ring 38 which encircles them, as shown.

Due to the fact that the spring legs are outwardly bowed it will be seen that when the jaws are pressedtogether so that the locking ring slips down to where it rests on the jaws, it will be below the outbow'ed middle parts of the legs and will not slip up on the legs and per mit the jaws to release their hold on an article therebetween.

The jaws 30 are, as stated, formed of resilient or springy metal and therefore after a garment has been placed in position between them and they have been closed or pressed into gripping engagement with the garment, slight additional squeezing together of the jaws will flex them and will move the ends of the spring legs toward one another and permit the locking ring to drop down. When the jaws are then released their tendency to return to normal condition will secure the ring against slipping and the garment will remain secured between the outer ends of the jaws.

When the gripper is to be released from the garment this is easily efiected with one hand by inverting the device and squeezing the bowed central portions of the jaws toward one another. This will move the'ends of the spring legs closer together and loosen their frictional engagement with the ends of the friction locking ring, permitting the ring to drop back toward the connected ends of the legs, where the legs are closer together than the ends of the coupling ring, and then upon release of the jaws the biased spring legs will spread the jaws apart in an obvious manner.

As is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 6, the gripper 16 is a substantial distance below the ends of the coat bar 14 and the ends of the gripper are spaced inwardly with respect to the ends of the coat bar. Thus a pair of trousers, or a skirt, can conveniently be hung from the gripper if a coat is hanging on the bar, without disturbing the coat. If desired the front portions of a coat may be located behind the gripper and the trousers, or skirt, hung in front of the coat. Thus in hanging, or removing, trousers or skirt, by tilting the device the gripper will be presented to, or swung toward, the user, away from the hanging coat so that the opening and closing of the jaws is made easy.

The long shank 20 of the hook permits the collar portion of a coat to lie properly on the bar without interference from the hook itself. In those hangers where the rounded or curved part of the hanger hook lies close to the top of the bar the collar of a coat on the bar would bear against the hook and become misshapen if the coat should hang for any length of time.

To facilitate suspension on the coat bar of a garment having shoulder straps, such as that shown in Figure 6 and designated 39, and representing an evening gown, slip or the like, each end portion of the coat bar 14 has fixed thereto a short inwardly extending finger 40, which may be formed of metal or other suitable material. Each of these fingers has a short upturned outer Wife-$82 end part 40a and a reversely bent parallel terminal pon tion 40b. 3

The 'end of the bar 22 to which the hanger finger is attached has formed vertically in the end face thereof, a groove "22x which joins at its top end with a socket 22y. The terminal portion 40b is inserted into this socket and held by means of a suitable cement -222 and the upturned part 40a engaged in the groove 22x which acts to prevent the terminal portion tnrning in the socket.

The inner end of thefinger 40 has a head 400 "to prevent a garment strap 41 from slipping ofi therefrom.

In Figures 7 to 9 and 11 there is shown another embodiment of the invention. V

In this second embodiment the device as a whole is designated a and the suspension means, the coat bar or frame and the gripper, are designated respectively by the general reference characters 12a, 14a and 16a. 7

The suspension means 12a is in the form of a hook 50 having a short shank 51 which has its end portion screw threaded as at 52.

The coat bar or frame in this embodiment is formed of a suitable length of strip metal 53 and is generally of longitudinally arcuate form, but the arc is not unbroken, "or struck from one center as is the case with bar 14, but is interrupted in that the bar midway of its ends has the short substantially straight portion a which joins the downwardly and outwardly curving shoulders I). These shoulders b extend into the long downwardly directed portions c which terminate in the sharply down curved tips d.

The middle portion a of the bar extends through a short tubular coupler member 54, which has a transverse slot 55 and formed diametrically of the member in the wall opposite from the slot is the tapped hole 56 into which is threaded theend of the shank 51 of the hook 50.

The gripper 16a, like the gripper 16, embodies in its structure the substantially U-shaped spring yoke, generally designated 57, of band or ribbon-like spring material, and has the outbowed spring legs 58 connected by the transverse bight portion 59.

The bight portion 5% lies transversely of the coupler member in the transverse slot 55 and over and upon the portion a of the coat bar and these crossed parts are firmly clamped together at 59a and to the coupler member, by the end of the hook shank 51, as is clearly shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The gripper 16a has the two jaws 60 longitudinally bowed with a terminal portion 61 at each end of each jaw bent outwardly at 62.

The terminal portions 61 are formed with coacting buttons and sockets as in the gripper 16. In Figure 8 only the outer depressed sides of the buttons are shown at 63, it being understood that the opposing portions 61 of the other jaw have therein the elongate sockets like the sockets 37 to receive the buttons.

The free ends of the spring legs lie across the outer sides of the jaws and are secured beneath the loops 64, which as shown in Figure 11 are punched from the metal of the jaw. After the end of the spring leg is inserted under the loop 64 to lie across the opening 65 formed in punching out the loop, the loop is struck down toward the opening to lock the leg against escape.

The numeral 66 designates the friction lining material on the opposed faces of the jaws and the numeral 67 designates the slide locking ring coupling the spring legs together.

In this second embodiment of the device the formation of the arcuate coat bar with the sloping shoulders b permits a coat collar to shape itself around the middle part a to which the hook is attached, thus making possible the use of a hook with a short shank.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a new and novel garment hanger which is of uncomplicated construction and can be made light in weight but strong and durable and which, also, in the *6 gripper thereof can be easily manipulated with one hand by a squeeze action to close and secure the jaws together and also to release 'the restraint on the spring legs to permit the latter to move the jaws apart, or to open posi tion.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A garment hanger device comprising at least two elongate members each adapted for supporting at least one garment, said members being disposed in spaced relation in a common plane, a means secured to one member midway between the ends of the latter for suspending the device from a support with one member lying above the other when so suspended, an elongate element between the members and attached to the members midway between the ends thereof and forming the sole conneetion between the members, and the lowermost member being materially shorter than the uppermost member whereby the uppermost member extends longitudinally a substantial distance beyond the ends of the lowermost member the said means comprising a hook having a threaded shank end and the attachment of said elongate element to the uppermost one of the two elongate members embodying a tubular coupler joined to both the elongate element and the said uppermost one of the two members and having the threaded shank end threadedly coupled to the tubular coupler and engaging and clampingly securing the elongate element and the coupler together.

2. A garment hanger device comprising an arcuate coat bar, a garment' gripping unit comprising two juxtaposed jaws disposed longitudinally of the wet bar in spaced relation with the concave side of the latter, a tubular coupler element disposed across the concave side of the coat bar midway between the ends of the latter, an in verted U-shaped member comprising spaced spring legs connected at one end by a transverse yoke portion, said yoke portion extending through said tubular coupler and said spring legs extending away from the coat bar and each being secured at its other end to a jaw, said spring legs being biased to separate the jaws, a sliding coupler between said legs adapted when slid in one direction to draw the free ends of the legs and the jaws together, a suspension hook having a threaded shank end, said threaded shank end extending through the coat bar and being threaded into said tubular coupler and engaging and clamping the said yoke portion in the tubular coupler.

3. The invention according to claim 2, with inwardly extending finger members attached to the ends of the coat bar below the concave side thereof for engagement in garment shoulder straps.

4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein each of said fingers is joined to an upwardly extending portion disposed against an end of the bar and said upwardly extending portion joining a terminal portion secured in a socket in the end of the bar.

5. A garment hanger device comprising an arcuate coat bar, a garment gripping unit comprising two juxtaposed jaws disposed longitudinally of the coat bar in spaced relation with the concave side of the latter, a tubular coupler element having a longitudinal surface portion bearing against the coat bar midway between the ends of the latter, an inverted U-shaped member comprising spaced spring legs connected at one end by a transverse yoke portion, said yoke portion extending transversely of the coat bar and lying in part within the tubular member, said spring legs extending away from the coat bar and each being attached at its other end to a jaw, said spring legs being biased to separate the jaws, a coupler element between and connected to said legs for sliding movement therealong and adapted when slid toward the jaws to draw the free ends of the legs and the jaws together, a suspension hook having a straight threaded shank end extending perpendicularly to the coat bar and extending through and threaded into an opening formed through the tubular coupler element toward 7 and engaged upon the said part of said yoke portion 1ying within the tubular coupler element, the said shank end of the suspension hook when so engaged upon said part of the yoke portion locking the coat bar, U-shaped member and tubular coupler element together.

6. A garment hanger device comprising an arcuate coat bar, the bar having a depression in and across the concave side thereof midway between its ends, the bar further having a vertical hole therethrough opening into said depression, a suspension hook having a threaded shank extending through said hole, a tubular coupler lying in said depression and having a threaded wall opening aligned with said hole and having the threaded shank threaded thereinto, a garment gripping unit comprising an inverted U-shaped member having two spaced spring legs connected at one end by a transverse yoke portion, a pair of opposing jaw members each attached to the free end of a spring leg and a coupler slidably connected to and joining said spring legs together, said transverse yoke portion extending through said tubular coupler, said threaded shank bearing upon and pressing the yoke portion into tight engagement with the tubular coupler, and said spring legs being biased to separate said jaws and said sliding coupler when slid toward the jaws drawing the free ends of the legs and the jaws together.

7. The invention according to claim 6 wherein said coat bar has a longitudinally directed hole in each end and means for suspending one of two straps of a garment from each end of the bar comprising a finger member having a short right angular portion substantially paralleling and extending in the same direction as the finger, said terminal portion being inserted in the said longitudinally directed hole whereby said finger is directed inwardly beneath and in spaced relation with the coat bar.

8. A garment hanger comprising a means in the form of a hook for suspending the hanger, the hook having a shank, a substantially Uy-shaped inverted member having a pair of legs and a transverse resilient yoke connecting the legs, means securing said shank to the yoke at the center of the latter, a pair of elongate jaw members in juxtaposed relation and each having a free end of a leg secured thereto, said resilient yoke being biased to separate said jaw members, means connected to and between 8 said legs for drawing the free ends of the legs and the jaws together, and means for holding a garment against slipping from between the closed together jaws comprising coacting interfitting elements carried by the jaws which enter and fit one into another when the jaws are pressed together. i

9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the last stated means comprises button-like projections carried by one jaw extending toward the opposing jaw and depressions in the said opposing jaw each formed to receive a projection when the jaws are in closed relationship.

10. A garment hanger device comprising two elongate units each adapted for supporting at least one garment, said units being positioned in spaced superposed relation, the upper unit being of materially greater length than the lower unit, a spring leg unit embodying a single continuous length of spring metal of substantially U- shaped inverted form having two side portions forming spring legs and a transverse head portion of substantial length between and connecting the legs and extending transversely of the said upper unit at a mid-position between the ends of the latter, said upper and lower units being free of connection one with the other at their ends, a hollow body in engagement with said upper unit at said mid-position and having said transverse head portion extending therethrough, said lower unit comprising a pair of juxtaposed jaw members each having a spring leg secured thereto midway between the ends of the jaw member, means coupling the spring legs for drawing the same and the jaw members together, and means for suspending the hanger-device from a support comprising a hook-like member having a threaded shank end threaded into the hollow body toward and applying pressure to said head port-ion and locking the latter in the hollow body against any movement therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,324,209 Reid Dec. 9, 1919 2,160,325 Brooke May 30, 1939 2,467,623 Lamothe Apr. 19, 1949 2,564,297 Colorusso Aug. 14, 1951 

